


Not Less But More

by wizardofahz



Series: Ahzy's Summer of Supergirl Fics [3]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-12
Updated: 2016-08-12
Packaged: 2018-08-08 07:20:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7748401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wizardofahz/pseuds/wizardofahz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex’s words should make Kara feel better, but they don’t. Alex’s sense of duty has always outweighed her sense of happiness. If protecting Kara meant giving up her dreams of “revolutionizing health care”, as Joanna had put it, then Alex would do it in a heartbeat. Apparently <em>had</em> done it in a heartbeat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Less But More

**Author's Note:**

> This is my ficlet for _Summer of Supergirl_ ’s “WEEK FOUR: That’s So Meta”. It’s kind of a character analysis of Alex mixing the “Super Sidekicks” and “Stick to Your Day Job” prompts.

As Kara skips up the stairwell to Alex’s apartment, she taps into her superhearing to make sure Alex is home.

“Remember our BioMEMS class?”

The familiar word spoken by an unfamiliar voice gives Kara pause. BioMEMS: Biomedical MicroElectroMechanical Systems. Kara had learned that term one night while on the phone with Alex right after she’d left for Stanford. That had been a fun mouthful to learn. Kara figures this woman must be visiting Alex.

And sure enough, it’s her big sister who responds, “With Professor Lee?”

Kara can hear a smile in Alex’s voice, painting a picture of happy memories, but the other woman’s voice tells a different story.

“Everyone hated that class,” she gripes. “He was brilliant, I’ll give him that, but that meant he never understood it when we couldn’t get stuff within two seconds.”

“It wasn’t that bad.”

“For you,” the other woman retorts, voice a mixture of exasperation and admiration. “And you still got it. Remember when we were in that cafe yesterday and I asked for your opinion on the design problem we’ve been having? The photolithography solution you came up with in sixty seconds was better than the one my team came up with after four months.”

“You need a better team,” Alex teases.

“I know. I want you to join.”

The statement catches both Danvers sisters off guard. There’s a brief silence during which Kara almost stops breathing as if doing so would impede her hearing.

Then Alex says, “What?”

“Come back to Mountain View with me,” the other woman says. “You can’t tell me you don’t miss engineering.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’ve seen you in the news, Alex. The FBI? Really?”

Alex doesn’t correct her. She merely responds, “Joanna, I do see you at conferences.”

“Yeah,” the other woman, who’s apparently named Joanna, says dismissively. “Presenting research you could do in your sleep.”

“Hey,” Alex protests. “It’s not like I only go to conferences with 90% abstract acceptance rates.”

“I didn’t say it’s research _anyone_ could do in their sleep,” Joanna, justifying her earlier statement. “See, that’s what I don’t get it. You’re brilliant, Alex, but let’s be real, there’s not much happening in National City. I could understand it if you were working at Lord Tech–”

Alex makes a sound of disgust, but Joanna ignores her and continues, “And, okay, you get to work with Supergirl, which I guess is cool if you’re into that sort of thing, but if you want to help people, make a global impact, that kind of thing, then revolutionizing health care, making it affordable, that’s the way to go. That’s the kind of stuff we used to talk about all the time. Remember?”

Joanna’s words congeal somewhere between Kara’s ears and then sink like a rock to her stomach because she’s almost accidentally right. Alex chose to work at the DEO because of Supergirl, because she wanted to protect Kara.

“I’m happy where I am.”

Alex’s words should make Kara feel better, but they don’t. Alex’s sense of duty has always outweighed her sense of happiness. If protecting Kara meant giving up her dreams of “revolutionizing health care”, as Joanna had put it, then Alex would do it in a heartbeat. Apparently _had_ done it in a heartbeat.

Joanna sighs. She seems to know Alex well enough to know that there’s nothing more she can say at this time to change her mind. “Just think about it, would you?”

“I will,” Alex responds. There’s rustling that indicates they’re hugging each other goodbye, then footsteps and the sound of a door opening and closing.

The sound prompts Kara into moving up the stairs once again. An Asian woman in a business suit passes by her in the narrow stairwell with a crisp but polite, “Pardon me.”

By the time Kara reaches Alex’s front door, she has a smile plastered on her face and has managed to inject a slight bounce into her step. She’s not going to ruin their evening with her doubts, and she’s definitely not going to make Alex marinate in her regrets.

After they decide which show to marathon and order double cheese pizza, Alex sits beside Kara and nudges her with her shoulder. “What’s going on? You’ve been a bit off since you got here.”

“Nothing. I’m fine.” When Alex says _try again_ with a quirked eyebrow, Kara makes up an excuse. “It’s just work.”

Alex gives her a small smile. “You overheard my conversation with Joanna, didn’t you?”

“How–?” Not only has Alex pegged that she’s not okay, she’s also pegged the exact reason why.

Alex’s smile widens. “You’re still a terrible liar.”

“I’ve gotten better,” Kara grumbles.

“No, you haven’t,” Alex teases. “So spill.”

“I don’t want to hold you back.” Kara’s words rush out of her mouth. “I meant what I said before I flew Fort Rozz into space. You deserve to have your own life.”

“Stop for a minute,” Alex says quickly before Kara can devolve into full on ramble mode. She opens up her arms. “You know what I’m going to say.”

Kara nestles her body into Alex’s. “No thinking. Just hugs.”

They sit in silence for a while. In any other situation, that would be cause for thoughts to run amok in her mind, but with Alex it’s different. She lets herself relax in the comfort of Alex’s warmth.

When Alex can feel the tension leave Kara’s body, she speaks.

“Do you remember when you found out I was a DEO agent, and you said that I was only recruited because I’m your sister?” Kara tries to straighten up, turn around and apologize profusely, but Alex’s arms tighten around her. “I’m not reminding you to make you feel bad, and I’m not saying it because I feel bad. Anyway, this was before we knew Hank was J’onn – so I don’t know; maybe he’d say something different now – but you know what he said? I got in because of you. I got to stay because of me. And it’s true. I joined to protect you, but I also got a hell of a lot more. We’ve got J’onn now. We learned my dad’s still alive. I get to do a job that I really enjoy with my little sister. My life isn’t less than it could’ve been because of you. It’s more.”

“But science and engineering–”

Alex waves off her concern. “Joanna thinks I work for the FBI. It makes sense that she’d think I don’t get to do cool science things. But I do. I get to fight aliens and research their physiologies and their technology. I get to explore things she couldn’t even dream about. Hell, I got to fly your spaceship.”

The reason _why_ Alex got to fly Kara’s spaceship is another story, and definitely something they’ll have to talk about later. In the meantime, Alex just hugs Kara a little tighter.

Kara fidgets in Alex’s arms, turning a little so she can look her big sister in the eye. “So you’re really okay?”

“I’m really okay,” Alex confirms.

It’s times like these when Kara feels acutely aware of how lucky she is to have Alex as a sister. She expresses it the best way she knows how, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”


End file.
